Well, 2016 is behind us.
From the point of big BIM success stories, this was meant
to be the big year, the one delivering the UK-spearheaded, Government Mandated ‘solve-it-all’
BIM.
And the plan to set it in motion may have achieved everything
it was supposed to do, I am in no position to tell. Years ago, I lost my
interest in watching/reading/listening the insincerely fashioned, and over time
regularly re-fashioned BIM experts, telling and retelling the same story of how
BIM was the big thing, but only in the way
they did it, in the meantime little real improvement was felt in the trenches.
As 2016 was crawling to its kitschy, shiny end, I occasionally
did get worried, that by failing to rub myself close enough to the shiny-suits
that matter, I will totally miss out on the real action when it finally truly
happens in BIM, but somehow also clung onto a philosophy that if things ‘really
were happening’ amongst the innovators, some morsels would trickle down to the ones
like myself and would entice me on time into pulling on the BIM-fighter
clothing again, just to keep putting the proverbial bread on the table.
Based on the evidence of people I meet daily in my real
work, I can state, that 2016 has not delivered the ‘BIM revolution’, and it has
a long way to go, for it to be able to make any real impact within its host
industry.
Based on this perception of the state of BIM, so
BIM-apathetic had I become, that my once busy blog – I have all but totally neglected
– while its readership is (almost bizarrely) constant (and growing!)
Consequently, I had no intention in starting the New Year with writing a
blogpost on anything BIM-ish when I got out of bed today, and would have likely
spent the day mosaicking, had I not just returned from a two week holiday.
A half-a-globe holiday trip on a cheap has its certain
characteristics, meaning a lot of airlines and airports have been involved.
Watching airline security for hours did something to me.
Strange that, Even the make-believeish part of it, that
is visible for the average Joe, like me is not that exciting – one could say. Since
9/11 we have learned not to make silly jokes while being tapped down or up, or mock
or treat with understated importance of the officers on duty. Apart from, maybe
my mother, who at 76 and having criss-crossed the world a couple of times,
still has the guts to place a full size canister of hairspray in her hand-luggage
and shrug it off as something she did know once caught. (true story).
OK, I know, we know, everyone knows, that emptying my
husband’s 300 pockets 5 times before you let him on the plane; make him pull
out his belt while holding up jeans not meant to stand up without them and
fishing his laptop from the bottom of a bottomless bag IS ALL part of a pure psycho- strategy to get
us all behave like sheep but believe to be ‘looked after’. Most of the real security happens behind the scenes,
based science and pseudo-science, on algorithms, risk calculations, tip-offs
and simply picking up the guys that tend to be trouble, or something like this.
Still, one thing came out of me watching these procedures
performed in various location and using numerous languages over the last couple
of weeks.
It reminded me of a blogpost (serious one too) that I
have been meaning to write for a long time.
So, here we are:
For numerous years Governments internationally have been
targeted as the possible biggest beneficiaries of the ‘mainstream’ BIM pushed
by the shiny-suits.
These ‘shiny-suits’ being the paid experts of various
companies taking on the roles of BIM-pioneers, yet often lacking in appropriate
knowledge or experience for such roles.
It is hard to find an airport, metro, hospital, museum,
mall sport or cultural centre globally under development without a ‘living’ BIM plan attached to it and
zillions spent on consultant’s fees, on making them look like there was a functioning
BIM guiding the process.
According to the shiny suits, BIM is not only supposed to
save a lot of money on these undertakings (remember: clash detection) but also
bring ALL sub-contractors to create a singing dancing (anything up to 7D)
coordinated digital model.
A model that was managed by an often uncertain party (you
know, the CAD guy from the main contractor that speaks one of Autodesk’s many
languages) while construction going on, and than handled to FM guys to ‘make
use’ of all of the charmingly and so aptly named BSxxx, COBIE and other adages given
to the model parts by the highly-competent (not) outsourced subcontractor
modellers.
While I was still somehow involved in setting up or
managing the implementation of plans described above, I often set through ‘cutesy’
meetings where various people in the know, argued about the ‘ownership’ of
parts of the model, mostly parts they themselves created and were unwilling to
put in the pot. Yet, rarely I remember discussing the security risks on behalf
of the owners of the final products of creating, good/or/bad, but still highly
detailed, information laden digital replicas of vital infrastructural and other
important assets without having a lot of clue on how these files will live on once
the buildings are finished. Seldom was it mentioned of the risk of the
creation, storing, managing, sharing of data and given believable assurances
that sound steps were taken.
So mesmerised (even the otherwise savvy) owners of these
BIM mandated-assets by their technological advancement tended to become, that
even normal questions of data security was left unasked, and the specialist got
away by serving up straight BS mumbo-jumbo to the ones brave enough to ask.
I did have one different experience, more than 10 years
ago, where the PM acting on behalf of the Government Client did seriously
question the process – to the extent that he wanted to lock up our modeller in
a secret location 24/7, but that was definitely the exception to the rule.
So, the point of this blog today is to raise this
question, motivate those that write, read and implement ‘War&Peace’ sized
BIM Plans for vital infrastructural and other important assets to include realistic,
proven, doable sections on how the modelling data will be managed in a way not
to get into hands they shouldn’t, or how to behave (the data) when they
actually do get into unprofessional hands or people set on causing damage.
The idea of Digital cities have been a tantalising one
for a long time, even I’ve seen a city major or two get all teary eyed by the
idea of all its infrastructure and building work digitalised, but when this
data is managed by quasi experts or those with hidden and questionable agendas,
the BIM-thing starts becoming much less of a good idea on a large scale and
those acting to protect their clients’ interests should do everything to come
up with their knowledge and fill the holes.
Now, I could close this post by saying that I am a
perfectly experienced and qualified expert to advise exactly those client
representatives, but then, who would believe me?
By no means could I claim to know the answer on every
question (just as no other ‘security expert’ could) – but if the questions are
not asked, there is little chance of the risks being rightly identified and
dealt with.
Seem to be easier to just cross fingers behind ones back
and hope everything will be fine.
